Photosensors with a photodiode and an amplifier are widely known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,813 describes such a device with logarithmic response and a frequency dependent feedback loop for increasing AC gain.
In order to use this type of device for dynamic signals, the amplifier must have sufficient bandwidth for handling even the fastest signals of interest. Since fast amplifiers require large supply currents, the power consumption of the device may become undesirably high for low power applications, such as solar or battery powered apparatus.